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Batter racks up third straight fifty for Essex but Anderson has hosts jumping and weaving

ECB Reporters Network14-Apr-2023Lancashire 207 and 82 for 1 (Jennings 45*, Bohannon 28*) lead Essex 219 (Critchley 78, Anderson 4-70) by 70 runs Matt Critchley racked up his third fifty for Essex in three LV= Insurance County Championship innings this season on a rain-affected day against Lancashire at Chelmsford.The allrounder enjoyed the better part of an intriguing joust with England paceman James Anderson, who otherwise had Critchley’s team-mates jumping and weaving while taking two more wickets to return figures of 4 for 70.Critchley was last man out for 78 from 154 balls to follow scores of 55 and 53 in last week’s win at Lord’s against Middlesex. It enabled Essex to post 219 and eke out a 12-run advantage that at one time in the day looked beyond them.When a combination of bad light and drizzle curtailed play with 27 overs remaining, Lancashire’s unbeaten second-wicket pair of Keaton Jennings (45) and Josh Bohannon (28) had swung the pendulum back towards the visitors who hold a 70-run lead.Anderson had been almost unplayable in the first hour under slate-grey clouds as he extracted pace and movement from a pitch that had other batters looking like mere mortals. One ball was so full of life and pace that it beat wicketkeeper George Bell’s extravagant dive and raced away for four byes.England hopeful Dan Lawrence had looked comfortable enough against Anderson on the previous evening but failed to add to his overnight 39 when he fended the fifth ball of the morning into slip’s hands.Adam Rossington – who later gave up the wicketkeeping gloves in Lancashire’s second innings to Michael Pepper after damaging a hand – lasted just eight balls before he gave a thick edge to another lifter from Anderson and Luke Wells held on above his right shoulder.A third Essex wicket fell in the first half-hour when Simon Harmer, on nought, fenced at Tom Bailey and Wells snaffled again at first slip.Critchley, who had struggled for consistency last season after his move from Derbyshire, continued to hold up the other end and reached his latest fifty from 100 balls. He played first fiddle in a seventh-wicket stand of 43 in 12 overs with Doug Bracewell, though he was fortunate when dropped by Wells on 53. The enterprising partnership ended when Bracewell chased a wide ball from fellow New Zealander Will Williams and became the fourth slip catch of the morning.When Anderson was rested after a six-over burst worth 2 for 20, it gave Essex some respite and Critchley took advantage by nonchalantly angling Williams past the slips for one of his nine fours.When Anderson did return after the first of three rain breaks, there was not the same venom or spite in his deliveries. Indeed, tail-ender Sam Cook played two controlled drives to the boundary at third off England’s premier strike bowler in a pleasing cameo worth 20.The eighth-wicket pair put on 38 valuable runs that took Essex beyond Lancashire’s first-innings total of 209, but it ended when Cook dollied Colin de Grandhomme to midwicket. Essex were all out soon after when Critchley holed out to deep extra cover to give Williams a third wicket.Lancashire had reached equality when Wells departed for his second single-digit score of the game, going half-forward to Jamie Porter and being judged lbw.However, that brought Bohannon in to join Jennings and the pair patiently pieced together a half-century stand in 16 overs that was embroidered by some loose bowling from Bracewell, who was taken off after conceding a combined total of 24 runs from his third and fourth overs.

The fast bowler did not think the early exit was the lowest point of his career, but admitted that he had slipped up with his execution during the tournament

Sharda Ugra at Lord's24-Jun-2019Having taken just six wickets in seven games at an average of 50.83, Kagiso Rabada has been far from the spearhead South Africa had expected him to be at the World Cup. The fast bowler has admitted that his performances at the tournament have only been “okay”.”These [World Cups] are the tournaments you really want to stand out in… In this tournament I would have like to have done better,” Rabada told reporters on Sunday, after South Africa’s exit-confirming loss to Pakistan at Lord’s. “I have just done okay. I think there have been times where we have been really unlucky, and some times where we have kind of let ourselves down.”Rabada, who is playing in his first World Cup, said he would not call the early exit the lowest point in his career, which began in the aftermath of South Africa’s heart-breaking semi-final defeat in the 2015 World Cup. “I wouldn’t say it was the lowest point in my career – this is what comes with the game. All of us, we don’t go to a game looking to lose. We go to a game prepared. We try to prepare, we do our analysis, and we come in with a good mindset.”He however cited his own case in failing to bridge the gap between planning and on-field performance.”Execution is just one thing that you know that has been a question mark for us, and especially for myself at times,” he said. “And you can’t just do okay.”Rabada said he had at times tried to “take it it upon myself to really stand up. I thought I played just okay. I don’t think it’s the lowest point. The next time this happens, it’s a challenge really to come out on top.”In comparison to his captain Faf du Plessis, whose media briefing was marked by the heaviness of his team’s failure, Rabada’s response to the defeat against Pakiatan reflected his relatively baggage-free World Cup experience and the fact that he was not the man carrying the load of the team’s leader.Of the match against Pakistan he said, “I think Pakistan turned up and we didn’t.” South Africa’s bowlers, he added, had slipped up at key moments in the match. “I think we knew we had them in the field and we let it slip and then they outbowled us. They got our batsmen out.”According to Rabada, the fourth-wicket partnership between Babar Azam and Man of the Match Haris Sohail – 81 in 11.2 overs – was “where they really got momentum with their batting, and I think their bowlers really bowled well to restrict our batters, so I think we were just outplayed, simple as that.”The defeat was to give to Rabada “plenty of learnings and that’s how we play this game. It’s not easy.”He then spoke not as a philosophical young man dealing with defeat but a young cricketer grappling with the lessons he had been given by the game. “As much as you want to be at the top. you’ll never find it smooth sailing. It’s extremely tough. When you are playing out there you experience all of this. And all these feelings, highs and lows, and that’s what comes with it.”South Africa’s last two World Cup group matches, dead rubbers as far as they are concerned, are spread over the next ten days, the first against Sri Lanka in Chester-le-Street on Friday, June 28, and then Australia in Manchester on July 6.So while Rabada did say that “the key is to bounce back and plan forward and stay positive”, he will find the empty time on his hands far tougher to deal with than he realised today. Just ask du Plessis.

India batter reflects on her 43-ball blitz on debut for Northern Superchargers, having suffered a lean patch recently in international cricket

Valkerie Baynes25-Jul-2021’It’s good to be back’ was Jemimah Rodrigues’ over-riding feeling upon delivering Northern Superchargers’ victory with an unbeaten 92 in their first match of the Hundred against Welsh Fire at Headingley.Rodrigues’ 43-ball knock contained a staggering 17 fours, struck to all areas of the ground, and one six. But, more importantly, it marked a welcome return to form for the India batter who had gone more than 18 months without an international fifty. It was a fallow patch that led to Rodrigues being overlooked for the last two of five ODIs against South Africa as well as the Test, first ODI and all three T20Is on India’s recent tour of England.”I wasn’t getting an opportunity to play,” Rodrigues said. “Then when I got that opportunity in the second ODI [against England], I put a lot of pressure on myself. I said, ‘I have to go out there, make the most of it and score runs’ and all these things.”I had to stay calm and play my game because I am good enough, that’s why I’m playing in the team. That was a slight shift that I got my mindset on, that I don’t need to put too much pressure on myself to go out and score or prove myself or make it big.”I just stuck to my game, kept things simple and played the best cricket I possibly knew. I was batting really well in the nets and that makes a lot of difference because I knew there was nothing wrong with my technique or anything it’s just going out there with a new mindset so I just worked from that.”Related

• Report: Rodrigues dazzles with 92* in Superchargers' emphatic win

Her two appearances against England leading up to this match yielded scores of just 8 and 4. But it was another innings on English soil that sprang to mind when she reflected on her latest outing for the Superchargers.Barely a year-and-and-a-half into her international career and at just 18 years of age, Rodrigues produced an unbeaten 112 off just 58 balls for Yorkshire Diamonds to defeat Southern Vipers in the now-defunct Kia Super League in 2019.”This time in was in a big stadium in front of a crowd and also coming back after a long time so this definitely did feel very special,” she said.”I know these girls, in 2019 they made me feel very comfortable. Coming back here, it really feels like coming home. I love batting in England, the wickets are more batter-friendly than in India.”It was a very good innings and a much-needed one for me personally… It’s just very good being back.”Jemimah Rodrigues was named Player of the Match for her 43-ball 92 not-out•Getty Images

During that 2019 season with the Diamonds, Rodrigues’ strength on the on-side came to the fore. On this Saturday afternoon in Leeds, her cover drive was especially productive, as shown when she brought up her fifty with back-to-back fours through the region off Nicole Harvey before making it three boundaries in a row when she deposited the next over wide long-off.But she also accessed the area through deep third to good effect with consecutive fours off Piepa Cleary.”Cricket has changed so much that you can’t stick to one shot,” Rodrigues said. “I’ve been practising a few shots, playing on the bowler’s mind. If you’re one step ahead of them it gets easier. When you have to go for it you have to go for it so you take a calculated risk.”My dad always says it’s not how much strength you have or how much power you have it’s how you use your brains and how you play out there so that’s kind of our game plan.”Rodrigues is one of three overseas players at Northern Superchargers along with South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Australian Laura Kimmince and, before the tournament started, Rodrigues said she was relishing the “responsibility” that came with being international players in an overseas league.”I like that responsibility, when the team wants you to play a certain role and take up that challenge,” she said in the lead-up to the Superchargers’ opening match. “Sometimes you need that because it’s when the best comes out of you. I’m sure Wolfie and Laura Kimmince will feel the same.”Meanwhile, West Indies batter Hayley Matthews, who top-scored for Welsh Fire on Saturday with 30 from 20 balls, acknowledged Rodrigues’ contribution in “winning the match for her team”.”Losing’s never easy but, at the same time, you have to appreciate how Jemimah batted,” Matthews said.”She played a really, really good innings, and we couldn’t really do much.”Maybe we could have improved the lines we bowled and a couple of misfields. At the same time, you have to give credit to the way she batted.”

Victory in a shortened but tense affair in Centurion puts the visitors 1-0 up in three-match series

Firdose Moonda25-Mar-2023West Indies 132 for 7 (Powell 43*, Magala 3-21) beat South Africa 131 for 8 (Miller 48, Smith 2-21) by three wickets Rovman Powell, in his first match as full time West Indies T20I captain, led his team to victory in a short but tense affair in Centurion. After persistent rain delayed the start of the game by two hours and then reduced it to 11 overs a side, West Indies opted to put South Africa in and were mostly sharp in the field but still found themselves chasing a steep target of 132.Brandon King’s eight-ball 23 gave them a good start and Johnson Charles’ 14-ball 28 built on that but it was Powell who ensured West Indies got over the line. They needed 46 runs off 24 balls when Powell took 23 runs off Bjorn Fortuin’s second over, to bring the required run-rate down to seven an over for the last three overs. He held his nerve when Sisanda Magala took two wickets in two balls at the other end to leave West Indies needing nine off the last over. Fittingly, Powell hit the winning runs with three balls to spare.West Indies have now won four out of seven T20Is against South Africa in their own backyard and have a 1-0 lead in the three match series.

Hosein strikes upfront; Rossouw and Hendricks hit back

When the match got under way, players on both sides seemed keen to get things going as quickly as possible. Quinton de Kock tried to heave the first ball he faced, from Akeal Hosein, over fine leg but misread the length and top-edged. Sheldon Cottrell was stationed there and took a simple catch. The early dismissal of de Kock didn’t keep South Africa down for too long. Rilee Rossouw gave himself three balls to get his eye in and then reverse slapped Hosein past backward point for the first boundary of the innings. He followed up with a shuffle down the pitch for a loft over mid-on but his aggression didn’t last long. Rossouw was out in the next over when he tried to hit Cottrell over mid-off and only got as far as Powell. That left it to Reeza Hendricks to take advantage of a three-over Powerplay. He sent the penultimate delivery over deep square leg for six and then swept the final one for six more to take the score to 30 for 2.

Middle overs meltdown

Boundary hitting was top of South Africa’s minds, even as the ball seemed to stick in the pitch a touch, and it backfired on them. Aiden Markram tried to clear deep midwicket off Alzarri Joseph, was too early on the stroke and skied it to Charles, who took a good catch. In the next over, Hendricks was premature on the pull and feathered an edge to Nicholas Pooran behind the stumps. And the over after that, Heinrich Klaasen threw his bat at a wide Cottrell delivery and sent to it Charles at backward point. South Africa lost 21 for 3 and boundaries dried up. They did not find the rope once between the fifth and eighth overs.David Miller and Sisanda Magala put up 47 off just 13 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Miller and Magala finish strongly

David Miller’s finishing ability is well known and he delivered on his reputation when he started the ninth over by smashing Romario Shepherd over deep square leg. Miller went on to smoke him through the covers before handing over to Sisanda Magala to face the first ball of the 10th over. Magala swivel-pulled Cottrell for four to start and then took back-to-back sixes off the last two balls, both slower balls. Miller took back the mantle and scored 14 runs off the next three balls he faced before he was caught on the deep midwicket boundary with two balls left in the innings. South Africa scored 60 runs off the last three overs.

King gets cracking; Fortuin strikes back

King got West Indies’ chase underway in the best possible way when he hit Fortuin through extra cover for four and over deep midwicket for six. Kyle Mayers then slogged to send Fortuin over long-on – and hit a woman in the crowd unintentionally, but South Africa’s left-arm seamer was not about to let his opening over end without a wicket. He held his pace back and had Mayers edging a delivery he tried to hit over point in the air. De Kock took the catch. West Indies finished the first over on 17 for 1 and with King still at the crease. He went on to hit 12 runs off Wayne Parnell’s first over, which cost 17 in total, but was bowled by a Magala full toss, when he made too much room to paddle it away. West Indies finished their Powerplay on 46 for 2.

Nortje gets Pooran – twice – and then catches Charles – twice

Anrich Nortje, who recovered from a groin niggle that kept him out of the second Test and the ODIs, was introduced in the fourth over and made an immediate impression. His first ball was full and wide and Pooran crashed it to Magala at extra cover. Magala missed the ODI series after splitting the webbing on his right hand, which he got to the ball but then could not hold on to it. An annoyed Nortje picked up the pace for his next one and Pooran nicked off. For the next over, Nortje went to long-on and was in place when Charles hit a full Tabriz Shamsi ball his way. Nortje took the catch but then realised he was going to step on the boundary cushion, so he parried the ball back into the field, regained his balance and stepped back in to take the catch. A lengthy replay showed Nortje had done everything right and Charles was out for 28.

Powell power

After showing his intent against spin when he hit a Shamsi googly for six, Powell got stuck into Fortuin and put West Indies in the driving seat. He sent the first ball of the left-armer’s second over past long-off for six, then cleared the front leg to hit him down the ground for four and ended the over with successive sixes. Powell had scored 10 runs off seven balls before the over and 33 off 12 after that over and put West Indies in a position from which they should not have lost, and they didn’t.

Former Australia captain believes he ‘scared a lot of people’ and thanks Langer for urging him to go to hospital to get checked

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2022Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has returned to work to commentate on the Australia-West Indies Test match in Perth just 24 hours after suffering “sharp pains” in his chest that required him to go to hospital.Ponting spoke openly and honestly on Saturday morning on Channel Seven about the health scare he suffered on Friday. He was thankful for the quick thinking of close friend and former team-mate Justin Langer and Seven’s head of cricket Chris Jones who urged him to seek immediate treatment after feeling pain in his chest during a commentary stint before lunch on Friday.Related

• Ponting taken to hospital during third day's play in Perth

“I probably scared a lot of people yesterday and had a scary moment for myself,” Ponting told . “I was sitting in the comms box halfway through the stint and got a couple of really short and sharp pains to my chest. I tried to stretch it out and get rid of it, and probably didn’t want to give too much away when I was on air.”I had a couple of those incidents, got through the stint and went to walk to the back of the commentary box and got lightheaded and dizzy and grabbed the bench. I mentioned to JL on the way out, who was commentating with me, that I had had these pains in my chest and Chris Jones heard me and just reacted straight away and got me out of there. Ten or 15 minutes later, I was in the hospital getting the best treatment that I possibly could.”I feel great this morning, I am all shiny and new this morning.